THREE AND A HALF YEARS, on house-arrest/parole....
This case is very much like the Iraq POW torture and killing...all the high level officers got off, including Colin Powell (second in command of the Americal Division)....only ONE low level guy is left holding the bag.....after things cool off...the low level guy's sentence is dramatically reduced, he spends just a few days in the stockade, and is mostly confined to his own bachelor's quarters...later more reduction in sentence, finally, onto parole and actual release after ONLY THREE AND A HALF YEARS....
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/MYLAI.HTMOnly Calley Convicted
The only American military man convicted for the murdering of civilians at Mylai is First Lieut. William L. Calley, Jr. He was found guilty last March of the murder of 22 civilians at the South Vietnamese hamlet. After Lieutenant Calley's conviction and sentencing to life imprisonment, the White House ordered him removed from confinement in the stockade and confined to his bachelor's quarters at Fort Benning, Ga., pending an ultimate decision. Last Aug. 20, Lieut. Gen. Albert O. Connor, the commanding general of the Third Army ordered Lieutenant Calley's life sentence reduced to 20 years. That decision meant that Lieutenant Calley would be eligible for parole in six to seven years.
The case is to be reviewed by the United States Court of Military Review, then by the Court of Military Appeals and, finally, by President Nixon.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/mylaichron.htmlSeptember 10, 1975.... Calley paroled, after serving only three and a half years. Then what happened?
A: Lieutenant Calley came out and said take care of these people. So we said, okay, so we stood there and watched them. He went away, then he came back and said, "I thought I told you to take care of these people. We said, "We are. He said, "I mean, kill them. I was a little stunned and I didn't know what to do. He said, "Come around this side. We'll get on line and we'll fire into them. I said, "No, I've got a grenade launcher. I'll watch the tree line. I stood behind them and they stood side by side. So they -- Calley and Meadlo -- got on line and fired directly into the people. There were bursts and single shots for two minutes. It was automatic. The people screamed and yelled and fell. I guess they tried to get up, too. They couldn't. That was it. They people were pretty well messed up. Lots of heads was shot off, pieces of heads and pieces of flesh flew off the sides and arms. They were all messed up. Meadlo fired a little bit and broke down. He was crying. He said he couldn't do any more. He couldn't kill anymore people. He couldn't fire into the people any more. He gave me his weapon into my hands. I said I wouldn't. "If they're going to be killed, I'm not going to do it. Let Lieutenant Calley do it, I told him. So I gave Meadlo back his weapon. At that time there was only a few kids still alive Lieutenant Calley killed them one-by-one. The I saw a group of five women and six kids -- eleven in all -- going to a tree line. "Get ‘em! Get ‘em! Kill ‘em! Calley told me. I waited until they got to the line and fired off four or five grenades. I don't know what happened....